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We’re all about business relationships at Network Group, and we wanted to give an example of how fruitful these can be. This is a case study about the relationship between an MSP member of our community, and one of our distribution partners.
What started as a simple supply relationship bloomed into a full partnership. This brought tangible benefits for both. And since it shows the value of relationships, we thought it could benefit all our members to highlight it.
Who’s involved?
Grant McGregor is an Edinburgh-based MSP and Network Group member providing a comprehensive suite of business IT products and services. In the Channel Futures MSP 501, they ranked 134th in the world, 9th in the UK, and 1st in Scotland. This is all thanks to their outstanding, people-first approach to customer service.
Ingram Micro Cloud is a division of Ingram Micro, and a Network Group Preferred Partner. They’re an internationally renowned, market-leading distributor and premium cloud services provider. Their global customer base extends to 76 countries, and manage over 17 million seats globally with over 1 million managed seats right here in the UK with Microsoft Partners.
Ingram Micro Cloud sets out to be more than “just another distributor”. Their success comes down to relationships, and a simple motto: “our partners’ success is our success”. Ingram’s partner churn is less than 2%. It achieves this by going over and above to support reseller and MSP partners.
The Challenge
Grant McGregor wanted to increase monthly recurring revenue, which made up less than half of their income. The question was how. They already sold Office 365 subscriptions in large numbers, but what they needed was a strategy on servicing their existing customer base on more levels.
Meanwhile, Ingram Micro Cloud were looking to develop their own partnerships. There was an existing relationship with Grant McGregor, but it was more transactional than strategic. It was time to change that through their partner programme.
The Solution
The first step was a consultation between the two companies. Ingram Micro Cloud assessed Grant McGregor’s portfolio and strategy, and appointed Peter Graham, a dedicated Partner Development Manager, to assist.
Working together over regular meetings, the two parties identified additional solutions that would benefit Grant McGregor’s customers. The key was in upgrading their knowledge and portfolio of Microsoft solutions.
Ingram Micro Cloud provided vouchers for members of the Grant McGregor team to acquire Microsoft 100, 500 and 700 certification. This gave them the knowledge and confidence to offer customers more, while Ingram kept them up-to-date on news and trends in the channel.
The next step was to upgrade Office 365 customers to Business Premium Licenses. This was a win-win, because it saved money for Grant McGregor’s customers, while allowing them to add more subscription services onto it. They began to migrate customers to the Azure platform, which now provides a substantial proportion of MRR. They also built up their cybersecurity and business voice portfolio, and were increasingly able to offer customers a complete ICT solution.
What resulted was a true strategic partnership. The relationship is closer than ever, with bi-weekly meetings to check in and keep up to date on objectives and targets. Best of all, Grant McGregor’s MRR increased to an impressive 67%, while growth in Microsoft sales exceeded the channel average.
Benefits to Grant McGregor
- Turnover quickly increased due to upgrading customers to Business Premium Microsoft Office Licences.
- New business opportunities thanks to the addition of telephony, allowing customers to consolidate with Grant McGregor.
- Significant increase in MRR.
- Recognition from Microsoft.
“We’re delighted with this partnership, and the support from Peter and everyone at Ingram has been transformative. Everyone wants more monthly recurring revenue, and they’ve helped us achieve that with training and advice. The products matter, but it’s the relationship that matters most. This one has been a huge positive.”
- David Lawrence, Director and Co-Founder of Grant McGregor
Benefits to Ingram Micro Cloud
- A new partnership.
- Greater purchasing power.
- More sales opportunities.
“This partnership has been a real success story. The key is that the whole team at Grant McGregor were engaged and receptive. The Directors were totally committed and open to new ideas, and it was this openness at the leadership level that really got things moving. It’s been great to see their MRR increase so much, and I look forward to seeing even more growth going forward!”
- Peter Graham | Partner Development Manager
Conclusion
It’s great to see our members and partners get so much out of this connection. In the end, so much in business comes down to relationships and connections. Our community facilitates that, and we’d encourage all members and partners to reach out to each other and connect. Congratulations to Grant McGregor and Ingram Micro Cloud for doing just that.
